Corsi Collection of Decorative Stones

view of stone 77

Corsi 77, approx. 145 x 73 x 40 mm, © Oxford University Museum of Natural History

OUMNH Number: 77  
Name and quarry location: Portasanta, from north west of Chora, Island of Chíos, North Aegean, Greece  
Geological description: Large clasts of pale pink compact fine-grained limestone showing a reticulated network of stylolites. It is part of a breccia, and small areas of salmon-pink micritic matrix can be seen.  
Comments: Portasanta is named after the Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican (see the Portasanta pdf). It was first used by the ancient Greeks, and was extensively quarried by the Romans from the 1st century BC until the quarries closed in Byzantine times and for centuries their location was lost. Corsi was incorrect in believing this to be Carian marble from the Turkish island of Iasos. The ancient quarries were rediscovered on the Island of Chios, Greece, by William Brindley at the end of the 19th century. Since then, there has been sporadic extraction of the stone. Together, Corsi's specimens of Portasanta show well the typical pink/brownish red/grey/white colour palette of this breccia, and the net-like arrays of stylolites often seen in large clasts.  
References: Borghini (1997) 285-287; Corsi (1845) 95-97; Lazzarini (2002c) 262-265; Mielsch (1985) 55-56, taf.14; Porter (1907) 70-72; Price (2007) 140-141  
Further information: Portasanta.pdf
 


Corsi's classification: Class 1. Marbles; Section 2. Veined marbles; Species 1. Porta Santa marble  
Corsi's text: 42.1 Marmo Porta Santa. Marmor Jasense. La cava era nell' Isola di Jaso dell' Arcipelago sulle coste della Caria nell' Asia minore, per cui da molti scrittori si è anche chiamato marmo Cario... esso corrisponda all'antico marmo di Jaso.  

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